New laser helps zap away tattoos and other blemishes

Having second thoughts about that tattoo? Want to get rid of a few freckles? University of Iowa Health Care dermatologists are using a new laser they say can zap ’em off more efficiently and with less scaring than other methods. U-of-I dermatology professor Christopher Arpey says the new laser works with the body to remove the tattoo. The pigment of the tattoo is dissolved by the laser under the skin and then carried away and dissolved by the body.Arpey says the new laser in many cases makes it hard to tell there once used to be artwork on the skin.He says the cost of the new procedure depends on the size of your tattoo or blemish.Treatments run from a few hundred to several hundred dollars, depending on the size of tattoo and number of treatments needed.Arpey says they’ve been using the new laser for three months and have had much more interest than he expected.He says people have a variety of reasons for wanting to get a tattoo removed, from getting a new job to getting a new boyfriend or girlfriend.Arpey says each person must undergo an assessment of their tattoo before going under the laser.